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University of Virginia Library

Poems on Several Occasions

by Samuel Wesley. The Second Edition, with Additions

Wesley, Samuel (1662-1735)

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THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES.

On the Sixth and Eighth Verses of the Fortieth Chapter of Isaiah.

Epitaph on an Infant.

To a Friend in the Country,

The ELECTIONEER.

TO Sir HERBERT POWELL, Bart.

A SONG to a Girl of Five Years old.

Epigram, from the Greek.

THE PARISH PRIEST.

To a Friend, upon his Marriage.

Epigram, from the Greek.

A Letter from a Guardian to a Young Lady

Epitaph on a Gamester and Free-thinker.

On the DEATH of Mr. Morgan of Christ-Church, Oxford.

ON The Birth-Day of a CHILD of a Year Old.

On the setting up Mr. Butler's Monument Westminster Abbey.

To the Right Honourable the EARL of OXFORD,

An Anacreontick Ode upon a Wedding, After Thirteen Years Courtship.

REFLECTIONS Upon these two Verses of Mr. Oldham: Lord of Myself, accountable to none, But to my Conscience, and my God alone.

To the MEMORY of the Right Rev. FRANCIS GASTRELL, D.D. Lord Bishop of Chester.

An ANACREONTICK, Alter'd from Herbert.

To the Right Honourable the EARL of OXFORD, On His Birth-Day.

To a Young Gentleman,

THE DESCRIPTIVE:

EPIGRAM On the foregoing Miltonicks.

Epigram, From the Greek.

On the foregoing Epigram.

An ODE To JAMES OGLETHORPE, Esq. In the Country. A.D. 1728.

To a Friend, on his Marriage.

PROLOGUE Spoken before the Beau's-Stratagem Acted by some young Persons of Quality.

THE PRISONS OPEN'D:

EPIGRAM, On the Death of a PHYSICIAN.

On the Death of Dr. FREIND.

A WEDDING-SONG.

A Familiar Epistle, to a Friend.

To a Physician, on his Marriage.

To the Memory of The Reverend Dr. SOUTH.

To a Young Lady, on her Birth-Day, being the First of April.

Epigram, from the Greek.

A PINDARICK ODE TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

Epigram, from the Greek.

Advice to One who was about to Write, To avoid the Immoralities of the Antient and Modern Poets.

EPILOGUE to CATO.

On the DEATH of Mrs. MORICE,

ANACREONTICK, From Herbert.

THE December's Day: .

ANACREONTICK, On parting with a little Child.

On the DEATH of the Right Hon. Henrietta Countess of Orrery.

On Philip, the Father of Alexander.

To Kitty, a Poetical Young Lady.

On the Statue of Alexander.

THE ILIAD in a Nutshell:

NECK or NOTHING:

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A PINDARICK ODE, TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

From a Hint in the Minor Poets.

An ODE to James Oglethorpe, Esq.

On the Death of A Friend, a Dissenter from the Ch. of England.

On some blasphemous Discourses on our Saviour's Miracles.

TO A FRIEND, On his being chosen Member of Parliament.

Slander answer'd.

A defence of Slander answer'd.

Upon my Hairs falling.

ON Mr. PETER BLUNDELL.

Epilogue to one of Terence's Plays, acted at the first Annual Meeting of Westminster Scholars.

Epilogue spoken at the Westminster-Meeting in the Year. 1732–3.

On the Siege of Saguntum.

On Forms of Prayer.

Upon altering the PSALMS, to apply them to a Christian State.

On the Passion of Our Saviour.

Ode upon Christ's Crucifixion.

An Hymn on Easter-Day.

An Hymn for Sunday.

AN Hymn to GOD the FATHER.

An Hymn to God the Son.

An Hymn to God the Holy-Ghost.

An Hymn to the TRINITY, Three Persons and One God.

A Paraphrase on the Eighth Psalm.

Hezekiah's Thanksgiving for his Recovery from Sickness: Isaiah 38.

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267

A PINDARICK ODE, TO THE Right Hon. the Earl of Oxford.

ON The Marriage of the Lady Margaret Harley with His Grace the Duke of Portland.

I.

Hymns, Ye Regents of the Lyre,
Pouring plenteously along,
Nuptial Friendship's hallow'd Fire
Claims the Torrent of my Song.
Hither wing Ye from your Sky
Spotless Faith and Piety.

II.

Say, if your Heav'n its Morn displays
Less beauteous here below,
Than when the Sun first spread its Rays
Five Thousand Years ago?
Let those who hate the cheerful Light
To darksome Graves descend,
And all who sacred Marriage slight,
And lawless Lust defend,
Instant from Mankind remove;
None should live that never love.

268

III.

Pernicious Fable old
Unfixes Nature's Bounds;
Love reigns the same in all we're told,
If Man or Beast it wounds.
The Latin Bard adorns the Shame
Of mad Pasiphae's hateful Name,
And gilds what he should hide;
In Fields of Sorrow sets to view
The monstrous False, and faithful True,
And ranges Wives that Husbands slew
With Wives who for them dy'd.

I.

Truth superior drives away
Thinly wove Poetick Lies;
Bids well-grounded Passion stay,
Deathless Constancy supplies:
Truth makes Wedlock happy prove,
Truth is Duty and is Love.

II.

When Love exerts its genuine Pow'r,
Deduc'd from Virtue's Spring;
When Parents Blessing, richest Dow'r,
Prevents a future Sting;
When mutual Trust and mutual Vows
Put all Reserve to Flight,
The Bliss our mortal State allows
Attains its utmost Height:
Bliss the Virtuous and the Chaste
Only give and only taste.

269

III.

When Anna grac'd the Throne,
To Britain justly dear,
She found that Nuptial Love alone
Could Toils of Greatness cheer:
A faithful Consort's friendly Breast
Could lull Imperial Cares to Rest,
And spotless Pleasure yield:
Pleasure She might have sought in vain
From Martial Glories of her Reign,
From Calpe or Ramillia's Plain,
Or Blenheim's well-fought Field.

I.

Chance, the Atheist and the Fool
Call absurdly to their Aid;
Wisdom always acts by Rule,
Who by Chance is happy made?
Youth and Wisdom join'd presage
Love triumphant over Age.

II.

Blest in their Love, may Portland's Eyes
Ne'er weep their Offspring gone;
Much less may just and bitter Sighs
Bewail a living Son.
No! let them view with dear delight
Their Blossoms op'ning Prime,
Matur'd to Virtue's perfect Height
By Culture and by Time:
Well rewarded for their Cares,
Fully answer'd in their Pray'rs.

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III.

Each Virtue of their Line
Reviv'd again, be known;
Nor let th' immortal Lustre-shine
In Memory alone:
Let Heirs from their distinguish'd Blood
Prosp'rous and healthy, wise and good,
Through ev'ry Age arise;
'Till Seasons leave the circling Years,
'Till Heav'n dissolve its radiant Spheres,
'Till Harley's Honour disappears,
And Anna's Glory dies.